


Unholy Matrimony

by MeNoukie



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Adult Content, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:09:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29117283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeNoukie/pseuds/MeNoukie
Summary: Sorea has been living in hiding for most of her life. She's been under the protection of her guardian Solomon for a long time. Now he has formed a devious plan in order to protect her, bringing her to the Devildom with him during an exchange program. But Sorea isn't aware of the deal her protector has struck with the Demon Prince, an arrangement considering one of the brothers. And how does this specific brother feel about the entire ordeal?
Relationships: Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue

** Prologue **

He didn’t even attempt to suppress the annoyed sigh that passed his lips at the insistent buzzing of the D.D.D. lying beside him, wishing he’d turned the thing off before one of his brothers – and he had a fairly good idea which one – decided to disturb his moment of peace and quiet. He’d only just slipped away to the solitude of his private bedroom, hoping to get some reading done, not interested in his brothers’ excited chirping about the arrival of the exchange students from the other realms.  The entire ordeal didn’t concern him either way. He understood the significance, but he simply didn’t care. Why would he, if it were only a temporary thing? It wouldn’t affect him or his doings in the slightest. He had much better things to occupy his mind, like the page he had already attempted to read seven times over without getting past the first line.

When the device buzzed yet again, he set his book aside with a frustrated groan and picked up the D.D.D. to see what was important enough to disturb him. 

_Satan, I need a word_

Lucifer. As he had predicted. Patience wasn’t one of his brother’s strong suits, and more messages followed.

_I know you’re not asleep, I would appreciate it if you stopped ignoring me_

_I’m not asking you again_

Satan’s fingers ran over the keys with aggravated speed. When it came to his oldest brother, his patience was limited too. In fact, he jumped at every opportunity to thwart him, even if there usually were repercussions involved. Fortunately, he was no coward.

_You rang, Milord?_

_Quit your rancor_ _. Come see me in my study_

Lucifer also liked to act like he owned the entire realm, and it pissed him off.

_I’m busy_

Even if in the end he didn’t have a choice, he couldn’t resist to flout.

_Now_

Came the simple reply.

He almost growled at the idea that he was once again forced to do his brother’s bidding, and as an act of defiance decided to at least finish reading his page before making his way downstairs.

As he moved down the hallway and passed his older brother Leviathan’s room, he almost smiled to himself at the sounds of enthusiasm that drifted through his door. It was closed as always, but he was no doubt in the middle of one of his strange games or DVD’s. Even though Satan didn’t understand his interest in such things, he did appreciate the fact that Levi, like him, preferred isolation. Probably even more so than Satan did – after all, he wasn’t a recluse – but he felt that of all his brothers, they understood each other best when it came to the need for solitude, even if they had different reasons for it. Desolation aided Satan with his restraint, helped him control the anger that sometimes threatened to burst from his every cell. 

Needless to say, Lucifer’s interruption wasn’t helping.

Voices traveled up the staircase from downstairs, where the rest of his brothers were still engaged in conversation about the exchange program, alternated by the occasional insult thrown at his idiotic older brother, Mammon. If he actually managed to think before opening his mouth, he wouldn’t be so bad. They were degenerates, the lot of them. His youngest brother Belphegor was so lazy he didn’t even bother to open his eyes most of the time. Said lazy brother’s twin, Beelzebub, would eat his own hand if they’d let him. And then there was Asmodeus, who had the most one track mind in Devildom history. His nymphomania could make a Succubus retire.

But at least none of them were as annoying as Lucifer, who’s very existence ticked Satan off. Unfortunately, without it, Satan wouldn’t have been here either. But at least then he wouldn’t have to listen to Lucifer’s commands.

When his D.D.D. received another message from Lucifer, Satan had half a mind to turn around and let Lucifer choke in his pride, but he was almost there anyway. 

He knocked on the door a little more aggressively than he had intended, but he didn’t mind. Not that Lucifer would be impressed with his displeasure, but that didn’t stop him from expressing it. In addition, he simply opened the door without waiting for an invite to come in, and found his brother by the window, staring out into the impenetrable darkness beyond the glass. There was something off about the way he stood there. His back was as rigid and his bearing regal as always, and yet it seemed like there was a weight pressing down on his shoulders that he wasn’t pleased with carrying. 

He was dressed in his customary formal wear in the colors black and red – though of course black wasn’t a color – but he’d stripped himself of his mantle and gloves, making him seem even more slender than usual. The black hair that ended in slightly lighter tips was still immaculate, framing his brows on both sides.

Lucifer didn’t look up when Satan entered the study, another indication that he hadn’t summoned him over a feeble matter. But Satan had already expected as much.

Satan quietly closed the door behind him and waited for his brother to speak.

When he finally did, his voice was softer and less defined than usual. There had only been a few times in his long life that Satan had witnessed Lucifer like this, and he automatically braced himself. Whatever it was, he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Do you agree that as brothers we should trust one another?” Lucifer asked him, his gaze still locked on something in the dark beyond. “Regardless of what we think of each other?” This time, he did face Satan, locking his wrists behind his back to draw himself up to his full – not insignificant – height.

It was no secret to Lucifer how Satan felt about him, and he’d never attempted to change it. It was one of those things that were simply unalterable, a state of mind between them that had been there for as long as Satan could remember. He knew _why,_ he simply didn’t give a damn. He felt no need to be close to his brother, and yet…Lucifer was right. As brothers, they had been through a lot, and even though they hardly ever agreed or saw eye to eye, they had always been there for each other in times of need. 

Satan almost groaned at the idea of trouble. What a nuisance. And just when he’d started on a good story.

“Get to the point,” he replied impatiently. 

Lucifer watched him silently, not a hint of his own thoughts reflected on his face. Only his eyes, those black and red irises that looked at him vigorously, showed a hint of his emotions. A shadow of remorse stirred in their depths, but that was all there was to see. His brother had always been master of concealment.

When he felt like he’d weighed his words enough, Lucifer finally continued. “I’m afraid that there is something that I need you to do. I already know what your answer is going to be, but believe me when I say, I have no other options. As for the reasons for my request, I cannot tell you at this present time, but Lord Diavolo has given me his support.”

A  hundred potential possibilities ran through Satan’s mind, the worst of which would be being sent to the human world as an exchange student. He dismissed the idea  however , since two students had already been chosen; a lesser female demon three classes below his, and his youngest brother Belphie. 

“The two students arriving from the human world, one of them is a girl,” Lucifer said. 

“And?”

“And I need you to betroth her.”

Silence. Satan’s mind went blank. Not even his ever present wrath had anything to say on the matter.

“...What?” Then the words sunk in, and resentment bubbled up to the surface. “No,” he firmly said, offering his oldest brother a look of pure loathing.

A  small smile played around Lucifer’s lips, the only indication that he had heard his brother’s refusal. “As I said, I had expected as much.”

“Then why even bother to ask?” Satan demanded.

This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard, and he’d heard quite a few ridiculous things in all his years. Betroth someone? A stranger? And a _human_ at that? If he wasn’t so insulted he’d have laughed. 

Instead of starting an argument, Lucifer sighed, almost apologetically. “Because there is no one else I can ask. Please, hear me out,” he added when Satan opened his mouth to protest. Satan remained silent, but his green eyes were ablaze and fuming. “This girl is special. She’s in danger and in need of protection. Having her stay here will grant her that protection, but she will need a reason to remain  beyond this year ,  otherwise it will raise suspicion, which in turn will draw unwanted attention to her. Demons –and  _angels_ , in particular, tend to stick their noses where it doesn’t belong.  Perhaps when the time comes I can tell you why, but for now, I need you to trust me.”

Satan tsked and looked away from his brother in annoyance. “Aren’t you the noble savior,” he muttered. _He_ wasn’t sacrificing himself on behalf of this human, now was he? No, of course he wasn’t, because Lucifer thought himself too important for such things. He had other things to concern himself with, being the head of the RAD Council and Lord Diavolo’s puppet. He couldn’t very well be seen with a lowly human on his arm, now could he? Because it was all about image and reputation with him, wasn’t it?

“You know I wouldn’t ask you unless –”

“Why me?” Satan interrupted him boldly.

In truth, there was no need for him to even ask that question, but he grasped every opportunity to stall this conversation, to not have to give in to his brother’s wishes. If this human needed someone to protect her, he wasn’t the most obvious choice, but at the very least the safest by far. Belphie wasn’t here, and Beel cared for nothing but food and lost the ability to reason when he was hungry. Asmo would eat her alive. He would be all over her, most likely to the point of driving her insane, which in theory wasn’t an entirely bad prospect. Still, that was clearly not what Lucifer had in mind for her. Levi would probably die on the spot if asked to tether himself to a human, and a _normie_ no less, which was what he called everyone who wasn’t like him. He’d refuse to acknowledge her very existence. As for Mammon, he would completely neglect her and leave her to her own devices and _forget_ about her very existence. Hardly the knight in shining armor that Lucifer had in mind, even though the Great Mammon himself would disagree. Not that he would ever go along with such an abysmal arrangement. None of his brothers – apart from Lucifer himself – were mature enough for this kind of task, and for the first time ever, Satan resented himself for being who he was; responsible, sophisticated and reasonable. At least, compared to the bunch of baboons he called his brothers. If only Lucifer wasn’t so aware that he knew how to compose himself.

“Do you honestly need to ask?” Lucifer replied, as if he’d read Satan’s mind. “I wouldn’t entrust this task upon anyone else. Despite what you may think of me, I’m not blind to your qualities. Do this for me, Satan. For us.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

The idea had been a good one, to hide out here for a year, using the time given to come up with a new plan. I’d been around far too long to be considered a student, but no one needed to know that detail. Anyone who lay eyes on me would believe it, even though my age far exceeded any human’s.

Beside me, my protector’s eyes roamed around the large auditorium, letting his  hazel  gaze fall on each and every single being present.  It was his job to assess and observe, but not only that; it was in his nature, and it was more than reassuring. Especially considering the fact that I saw only danger everywhere I looked. Surrounded by  _demons._ I must have been out of my mind to listen to my  guardian’s suggestion to come here. 

“Solomon,” I gently nudged his arm and he hummed at me in question without halting in his hawk-like survey of the hall. “I’m beginning to have second thoughts about all this. I mean, look at all these…” I crinkled my nose in disgust when I let my own eyes roam around. Most of the creatures around us were human-like enough, but there were more than a few abominations running around. Like the small black _thing_ that kept darting in between legs, tying people’s shoelaces together and running off while giggling. It had come too close for comfort on more than one occasion, and the row of sharp teeth protruding from underneath the glowing red eyes set in ebony made my skin crawl. I was far from delicate, but I had my limits. “Are you sure that coming here was –?”

“–Sorea,” his smooth voice reassured me as he finally tore his eyes away from our surroundings. “It’ll be fine, you’ll be safe here. Don’t you trust me?”

The hurt on his features didn’t go unnoticed by me, but I also knew he was an expert at feigning any kind of emotion. He was an excellent liar and manipulator, and more than once I’d found myself angry with him for his games. Still, when he looked at me all innocently with that angelic face and that  messy silver- white hair, I couldn’t help but nod. 

“Of course I do.”

Solomon and I went way back, and even though he was technically human, he was also a very powerful sorcerer who had found ways to lengthen his lifespan significantly. He’d once told me that he’d been around for over three-hundred years, but there was no way to confirm or dispute his claim. To me, he was simply my  guardian, and he’d always been exactly the way he was now. We’d met a little under a hundred years ago, when I’d been lost and was being hunted, alone and abandoned. He’d taken me under his wing, and had been looking after me ever since. Together, we fought for survival every day, always looking for new places to go. And right now, the Devildom was the place to be. 

“Look around,” Solomon said, indicating the room full of people, or rather, demons. “These people will be your classmates, but there are only a few of them really important to you.” I looked at him with interest as he continued. “The seven rulers of Hell, Lord Diavolo himself, and perhaps most important of all; the exchange students from the Celestial Realm, the angels Simeon and Luke.” He pointed off to the left, and when my eyes followed his line of sight, they fell on a strangely dressed tanned young man with a wild mane of chocolate brown hair. My own color. He was wearing a sleeveless black top, white cloak with golden lining, and a loose fitting white pants. I didn’t see anyone else around him that matched his looks however. Then my eyes caught sight of a small figure standing by the angel’s side. By the looks of it, it was either a very young boy or a very short boy. If it hadn’t been for the white cap he was wearing, I might have missed him completely. As other people moved around, I saw golden hair emerge from underneath the cap and he too was wearing white with golden lining. 

The fact that they were there was a little unnerving to me, and I knew I had to keep a close eye on them without catching their attention. Attention from angels was bad. In fact, any kind of attention was bad.

“Now look over there,” Solomon continued and pointed towards the stage at the very back of the auditorium. Atop the stage were sevenchairs, the largest and highest in the middle. They almost resembled seats one would find in a courtroom, though more regal and refined, lined with velvet and carvings. In the very middle, up on the highest seat, sat a man wearing a red uniform. His rather unruly auburn hair matched his handsome, though merry young face. On his right hand side sat a somewhat darker looking individual. Dressed in the same uniform, though black, his hair was dark as ebony, as were his eyes. There was a defined shape to his face, with elegant eyebrows and a strong nose. This was the problem with High demons though, they were all too handsome to be deemed human, in a very otherworldly way. There was a reason humans were easily seduced by them. “That is Lord Diavolo in the middle,” Solomon explained. I’d momentarily forgotten about him, and he shook me from my reverie. Up on the stage, the two demons rose from their seats, and made their way down. “And beside him is Lucifer, Head of the Council and Lord Diavolo’s right hand. It seems they are coming over here to make their acquaintance.” 

Much to my surprise, he was right. People actually moved aside as they passed, some even bowing their heads respectfully. There were also those who shook hands with the  men, and exchanged a few words. The delay in their arrival only made me more nervous,  I’d rather got this over with, though at the same time I wanted to run and hide.  The palms of my hands started to sweat, and a shiver ran down my spine. These two demons were the only two aware of my situation, and that very fact chilled me to the bone. My life was literally in their hands. I was at their mercy, and I didn’t like it one bit. Once again, I questioned Solomon’s decision to take me here. 

I felt his reassuring touch on the small of my back,  letting me know he was right here with me, as always. 

As they got closer to us, I noticed Lucifer’s hair wasn’t entirely black, the strands were lighter near the tips, nor were his eyes as dark as I had thought from that distance. They were black with a red hue, a glow that seemed to reflect the very light in the room. There was no doubt however, that those eyes could kill. There was something entirely seductive about the man purposefully striding over to me, and I swallowed at his presence. Pride and dominance, those were the first two words that popped up in my head.

Lord Diavolo however, smiled brightly at me, a smile that reached bright amber eyes a shade darker than my own. I wasn’t sure which was more dangerous; a clearly cold individual or an amicable demon. Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“You must be Sorea!” Lord Diavolo’s voice boomed through the auditorium, and a few heads turned our way. Beside him, Lucifer loudly cleared his throat, at which Diavolo composed himself a little. “Apologies,” he said a little more quietly this time, and held out his hand for me to take. I managed to suppress the trembling in my fingers, and placed my hand in his. “Welcome.” He bowed to me and placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles. “Solomon, you didn’t tell us that she was so lovely. Still as sly as ever, I see.”

Lucifer looked far from amused, and I wondered if the prince of Hell was always so… _normal_.

“We are very pleased to have you here, Sorea,” Lord Diavolo said. “If there is anything you need – anything at all, feel free to ask Lucifer. Or Satan, of course.” He winked at me, though I didn’t understand the reference. “Now if you will please excuse me,” Diavolo smiled warmly as he pressed another kiss to my hand. “I must go welcome the angels.” He disappeared into the crowd, heading in the direction where Solomon had pointed out the two angels earlier. 

“Ooh, don’t look so jealous, Lucifer!” Another demon appeared on the scene, shoving Lucifer aside in his haste to get to me. 

This one was also dressed in the same uniform as Lucifer, though his shirt underneath was green instead of black. His hair had the strange color of mocha, and his cheeky looking eyes were orange with a hint of caramel. He even smelled sweet. Had I been anywhere else but in an auditorium full of demons, I might have taken the time to appreciate him, as he was without a doubt pretty. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time.

All this attention was becoming a little too much for me, and Solomon anticipated wonderfully.

“Asmodeus!” he greeted the new arrival and stepped up in front of me, blocking the way. “I’m afraid I can’t let you get too close.” The way he said it made it clear that he meant it, though he expertly covered it up to make it sound like a joke.

Asmodeus giggled and threw up his hands in surrender. “Yes, yes, I know! I’m so excited, I can’t  _wait_ for them to meet!”

Solomon shot me an apologetic glance over his shoulder, but I could have sworn there was also a hint of guilt. Had I imagined it? There was no time for me to ponder on the matter, because suddenly Lucifer was standing right in front of me, holding out his leather clad hand.

“Please excuse my brother,” he smiled down at me, though the gesture was somewhat overshadowed by his impressive height. 

I looked down at the hand hovering in invitation for a second longer before finally placing my hand in his. Unlike Diavolo, Lucifer didn’t feel the need for theatrics, and he didn’t kiss my hand. For which I was glad. Instead, he held it with both his own.

“As you might have guessed already, I am Lucifer, Avatar of Pride and eldest of the seven rulers of Hell. And this one over here is my brother Asmodeus. Fifth in line and the Avatar of Lust.”

Yes, I’d learned about the Avatars; the embodiment of the seven sins, each belonging to a brother. The lore was ancient and very true. It only took one simple glance at Asmodeus to know that. He was breathing the very sin from his pores. 

“I’m Sorea,” I introduced myself.

“Wh –” Asmodeus gasped with an incredulous look at his oldest brother, who for some reason was still holding my hand. “I can’t believe you referred to me as _this one_. How rude!”

Then another emerged from the crowd around us, and this time I was absolutely certain I saw Solomon look guilty. The quizzical frown I threw his way was interrupted by the newcomer’s voice. 

“At least he didn’t ignore you all together,” he said moodily. “Not that I see what all the fuss is about.” 

“Ah, yes,” Lucifer smiled, adding a little more pressure to our joined hands. “This is Satan, fourth eldest and Avatar of Wrath.” 

Satan, who like the others wore his uniform and was equally dashing, had set his green eyes on me. I almost gasped at the intensity with which he was glaring at me, and if I hadn’t know any better – since he didn’t know me at all – I could have sworn there was resentment in those eyes. His purely golden locks of hair made him resemble an angel more than Simeon did, but the set of his jaw made it obvious that he clearly wasn’t. Far from it, most likely. His eyes continued to bore into me and I fought the urge to squirm under his stare.

“I’m sure you’ve been wanting to meet him, Sorea,” Lucifer continued as he finally let go of my hand.

Why would I want to meet him? I tore my eyes away from Satan and looked up at Lucifer in confusion. His dark eyebrows rose when he saw the look on my face, and he glanced at Solomon, who was grinning sheepishly, something I knew him to do whenever he got nervous. 

“Surely Solomon has informed you of the details of your arrangement…?” 

His question lingered in the air, making me even more confused. What arrangement? What was going on? Suddenly I felt like I was part of a secret everybody was aware of but me,  and concern restricted my throat, preventing me from speaking. 

“That Satan is to be your betrothed,” Lucifer stated.

A gasp fought its way through the constriction in my throat, rendering it almost silent. Shocked, I took a step back. “…What?”

“Apparently, he hasn’t,” Lucifer set his cold eyes on Solomon.

His voice was suddenly cold as steel, and I realized he had the capacity to whip someone without even touching them. Then he glanced at Satan, who was still staring at me, though the coldness in his eyes was gone to be replaced by  mild  curiosity.

My eyes shot over to Solomon, while Asmodeus clapped his hands over his mouth dramatically. “Solomon…?” I whispered, barely audible over the murmurs in the large hall.

“Sorea,” he started, taking a step towards me. “This is for the best, you have to trust me.”

Never in my life had I felt so outraged. The sheer nerve of the man I called my protector. The sense of betrayal that hit me was beyond words.

“Trust you?!” I hissed, my fists clenched at my sides. “You sold me off like a piece of meat.” 

Only the fact that we were standing in a crowded auditorium prevented me from completely losing it. However, even negative attention was attention, and I needed to stay as far away from it as possible.

“It’s not like that, Sorea.” He tried to grab my hands, but I slapped them aside.

“I refuse,” I stated coldly, pulling myself together. “I’m going home.”

I spun on my heels to walk away with my head held high, but Solomon’s next words froze me in my tracks.

“And go where, Sorea? You don’t have a home. You can have a home here.” He was suddenly standing very close to me, and this time I did allow him to take my hands in his. “Think about it,” he said softly in that voice that was always so soothing to me. “You’ll be safe here, angel,” he added with a smile. “For as long as you want.”

Now that I had gotten over the initial shock, I saw the reason to his words. He was right. I could stay here forever under pretense that I was tethered to one of the demons, but then what? Would that really make me happy? Besides, the very fact that Solomon and Lucifer had concocted this scheme behind my back was more than infuriating.  Or perhaps it had been Diavolo himself. Whichever the case, it was embarrassing. 

“You should have told me,” I hissed softly.

“And you would have refused to even come here. I know you better than anyone, Sorea, don’t forget that.”

He was right about that too. I risked a careful glance over my shoulder at the Avatars, though mainly at Satan, who stood observing the interaction between Solomon and myself with a look on his face that bordered amusement. I was supposed to tie myself to this man? This demon? And do what? What exactly were his expectations? Surely he didn’t sacrifice himself out of the kindness of his heart. There must be something in it for him, he was a demon after all. What price would I be paying? Was I expected to become his servant? Warm his bed?

The very thought sent a very real chill down my spine. Would I still have my freedom?

Out there, in the human world, there was nothing left for me but more sorrow, more running, but here, at least, I could be safe and make a home. But at what cost?

“I will think about it,” I finally said. My voice was firm, though I didn’t feel all that confident. “I have an entire year for that, do I not?” 

I didn’t get much time to let the news sink in, for Solomon was already dragging me back towards the small group of people that were all watching me intently. Embarrassment hit me like an icy wind,  but my skin burned rather  hot. Though trying hard not to, a quick glance at Satan made me feel even more uneasy. He was watching me with narrowed eyes, looking quite displeased. Was he upset that his bride to be had rejected him so openly in front of his brothers? Without meaning to, my eyes fell to the floor, and I detested myself for looking so submissive. Still, Solomon had put me in an awkward position, and that very feeling was now hanging in the air between us. 

“I am confident things will work out, Sorea.” Lucifer offered his reassurance, though exactly how much a High Demon’s reassurance was worth was a matter of debate. I imagined not a whole lot. “It’s unfortunate that Solomon has neglected to inform you, but I am sure he had his reasons. Now,” He reached into the inner pocket of his black jacket and conjured up a rectangular device, the size and shape reminding me of a cell phone from the human world. “This is a D.D.D.” He held it out to me and I slowly took it from his gloved hand, careful not to brush my fingers against his. “I believe this is referred to as a ‘cell phone’ in the human world, yes? You can find my brothers and myself in your contact list. Feel free to use it as you wish.” He then glanced to his left, where unnoticed by me, someone new had joined the group. “Sorea, this is Beelzebub, sixth born and Avatar of Gluttony.” 

The newcomer had such a physical presence that my first reaction was to take a step back. He was  almost as tall as Lucifer, but nearly twice as wide. There seemed to be nothing but muscle on him.  Though  I imagined he usually had a  pleasant face,  he was now looking a bit grumpy. It seemed that this emotion wasn’t directed at me however. His bright orange hair and purple eyes  only amplified his friendly features, and just like the others, he was very handsome  in a very inhuman way.

“Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon.” Lucifer said this with a bit of a grim expression, as if he were biting back some form of comment on that fact. “He will look after you for the time being. Once he gets here, he will escort you to your new home, and show you around. My other brothers aren’t here at the moment, but...well, we can get to them later. All in good time. You will be staying with us at the House of Lamentation.” 

I visibly froze at his last statement. Stay with them? Solomon placed a hand on my arm, seemingly afraid I might lose myself again, and quite frankly, he might have been right. They were going to separate me from Solomon, the one person I trusted beyond all others. Instead they were going to lock me up in a house filled with male demons, among which was none other that the Avatar of Lust. As if regular demons weren’t dishonorable enough. 

Unwillingly, my eyes  darted over to Asmodeus, who winked at me with a smile on his face that might have made a human girl grow weak in the knees.  Demons weren’t known for their kindness and empathy. They greedily took what they wanted, whenever they wanted, and the idea of staying in a house with seven male High Demons was almost more than I could bear. I might even be forced to share a room with Satan. 

This could only lead to inevitable trouble.

“Why can’t I stay with Solomon?” My voice sounded rather feeble to my own ears, but it might have been due to the pounding of my heart. I looked up at Lucifer, and the answer was clear in his eyes, there was no need for him to say more. 

If I was to be betrothed and eventually wedded to Satan, it wouldn’t do if I were staying at a different location. We wouldn’t be seeing much of each other at all. A part of me understood that Lucifer was attempting to do me a favor by giving me the opportunity to get to know Satan, but judging by the way the blonde demon was looking at me I could tell that neither of us were very pleased with his offer.

An arm snaked around my shoulder, and Solomon leaned in ever to slightly to whisper, “I’m so sorry, Sorea.”

And with that, my fate was sealed.

“Now that the formalities are out of the way,” Lucifer stated, ignoring my question unabashedly. “Try using your D.D.D. to call Mammon.” His handsome features darkened as he added, “He should have been here by now.” 

The device that Lucifer had given me was still clutched firmly in my hand, and only now that he pointed it out to me, did I notice the vice grip I had on the thing. On the outside I surely looked composed, but inside I was angry, scared and more than a little uneasy. To give my mind something to do other than worry about where I was going to spend the night, I turned on the D.D.D.’s screen and looked for the icon for contacts. It wasn’t difficult to find, and the device seemed to work along the same lines as the ones I was used to from the human world.

There weren’t many contacts listed, and I’d met most of them during the passed fifteen minutes. My eyes found the name ‘Mammon’, along with a profile picture. Another handsome demon was staring into the camera, all white careless hair and baby blue eyes, and a cocky grin on his face. The word incorrigible came to mind.

I tapped the dial icon and pressed the device to my ear, feeling a little nervous about boldly calling on a stranger, and a demon at that. It rang a few times before a young sounding voice answered lazily.

“Yoooo.”

“Hello, Mammon?”

“Are ya foolin’ around?” the voice said with a hint of annoyance. “Who the hell are ya?”

“I’m Sorea, from the human world.” I would have preferred telling him I was a human, but that would have been a lie, and so, impossible. This response was bending the truth only a little, something I had become quite adapt at over the years.

“Whaaaa?” Mammon gawked. “A human? Geez, I was gettin’ all chilly here thinkin’ it was Lucifer again. Ya should’ve told me right away. So, what business does a human girl got with THE Mammon?”

Had Lucifer not informed him of his task or was he playing dumb?

“You will be in charge of me from now on,” I replied, hoping he would understand why exactly I was calling him. He didn’t sound at all too bad, but he was still a demon.

“No way!” he exclaimed on the other end. “There’s nothin’ in it for me. Whaddya even mean by ‘be in charge of you’? AAH!” he suddenly shouted and I flinched as the sound reached my ear. “I get it now, you’re the other human– the new exchange student!” Apparently it had taken him some time to connect the dots, and I once again wondered why Lucifer would appoint him to me. “G’luck with that, and see ya.”

It was easy to tell from the sound of his voice that he was about to hang up, but one look at Lucifer told me that he would be far from happy if that were to happen. “Lucifer called for you,” I said quickly, hoping this would change Mammon’s mind. Judging by what he had said before about Lucifer, it wasn’t difficult to guess that Mammon feared is brother to a certain extent, though how much I had no idea of.

“Pfft, whatever,” came the lazy reply. “Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just ‘cause you’re tryin’ to scare me with that name?”

Had I been wrong?

Suddenly, Lucifer was standing beside me with a rather angry frown on his face. “You’ve got 10 seconds,” he spoke into the phone, his voice laced with dark warning. “…9…8…”

“YESSIR!” There was clear panic in Mammon’s voice, perhaps even a hint of terror, and I couldn’t ignore the concern that welled up inside me.

If even his brothers were frightened of him, did that mean he was truly as evil as the stories presented him to be? What was going to happen to me? Were the smiles he’d offered me this evening nothing but a ruse to make me feel welcome? To trick me into feeling comfortable while he intended to hurt me?

I risked a glance up at his face to find there was a pleasant smile on his lips.

“Sounds like you had a nice chat,” he said to me with a certain amount of superiority. “You must be feeling anxious about trusting Mammon, which is only understandable. In fact, I wouldn’t put my trust in him if I were you.”

Why would he say such a thing? He insists Mammon ought to be the one to take care of me, and yet he clearly doesn’t think of his younger brother as trustworthy.

So many things were going through my mind at the same time that I simply couldn’t manage to filter them anymore. I was to be separated from Solomon, to be guided by an undependable demon, live in a house filled with male demons, marry one of said demons, and perhaps even be forced to sleep in the same bed. That is, if Lucifer wasn’t concocting some sort of devious plan to have me killed, or worse.

I reached for Solomon again, and his hand found mine immediately. He offered me a reassuring squeeze, but this time his reassurance wasn’t enough to calm my mind, which was running wild by now. He’d quite literally thrown me into the lion’s den, and they all had hungry looks in their eyes. At least, I imagined they did. Especially that look in Asmodeus’s caramel eyes was rather disturbing.

My heart was racing as he stepped closer with what felt to me as a predatory gaze. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” His voice was gentle and smooth, but I still took a step back from him. “Come on, don’t be shy…”

“Asmodeus!” Solomon warned him as he protectively wrapped an arm around me to shield me from the demon. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I should probably warn you,” Satan suddenly chimed in, looking a bit too amused for my liking. “You’d best be wary of Asmodeus’s gaze. He can charm and manipulate people and use them to his advantage.” His light brows formed a dark arch of careless warning and he shot me a glare. “If you’re not careful, he’ll charm you. And once you’re under his spell, he’ll eat you.” 

“Sorea, he’s only teasing you,” Solomon said to me, though there was nothing aloof about the look in Satan’s eyes. 

“Hey,” Asmodeus snapped at Satan. “Don’t go around saying things like that…” Then he sighed and a sad look crossed over his boyish features. “Regardless…My power doesn’t seem to work this time for some reason. I wonder why.”

My heart skipped a beat from all its hammering.  What if his powers didn’t work on me because of what I was? If so, someone was bound to start asking questions eventually. 

“Are you done?” Lucifer interrupted with a heavy sigh and a disappointed look on his face. “It seems the idiot has finally arrived.”

When I followed Lucifer’s line of vision, I noticed someone walking up to us. Someone with tanned skin and fashionably wild, white hair and blue eyes. And he seemed rather upset.

“Hey!!” he bellowed at me as soon as he reached our little group, making me flinch. Now it was Mammon that Solomon had to shield me from. “Just _who_ do you think you are, human?? You’ve got a lotta nerve summoning the Great Mammon! I’ll wipe that stupid look right off your face!”

“Mammon!” Lucifer didn’t need to shout, his name on Lucifer’s lips was enough to stop Mammon’s ranting. 

“Mammon is a masochist,” Asmodeus chimes happily, his lashes fluttering. “That’s important to remember.”

“Indeed,” Lucifer continues as he watches Mammon shrink on the spot. “And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother. Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human’s needs during the entire exchange. I expect your full cooperation.”

So, Lucifer hadn’t informed him. Just as Solomon hadn’t informed me. It only led me to wonder whether Satan had been informed at all, or if he was simply able to control himself a whole lot better than I apparently could. Asmodeus had clearly hinted at knowing about the arrangement, which had to mean that Satan had been informed, unless everyone knew but him. Somehow, that was difficult to imagine. It seemed Mammon had been the only one of the brothers that hadn’t been informed of his duties, and judging by the look of appalled shock on his face, he didn’t agree either.

“What?!” he exclaimed loudly, making Asmodeus flinch beside him. “Why me?!”

“Mammon…?” The way Mammon’s name rolled off Lucifer’s tongue was almost too sweet. “ _Surely_ you’re not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, do you?” His voice was low, calm and full of danger. His black and red eyes were slowly beginning to shimmer, confirming my suspicion that Lucifer was indeed more than a little wicked. 

“Ugh!” Mammon groaned. “I hate you guys! Every last one of ya! Fine!” he quickly gulped as Lucifer’s glare intensified. “Fine! I’ll do it, okay?!” He seemed more than a little upset, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. This was a less than ideal situation for the both of us, though he wouldn’t have to spend the rest of his life by my side. “All right human, listen up.” Mammon took a deep breath and stood in front of me with his hands on his hips, looking a whole lot braver than he had a few seconds ago. “As much as I don’t want to look after you, I’ve got no choice. It’s a huge pain in the ass and I’m too important for this kind of thing, but Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better make sure you don’t cause me any trouble, got it?!” As he said this, he carefully glanced at his older brother as if worried he might get scolded again, but Lucifer remained silent, though clearly alert. 

All the while, Asmodeus was whispering things to Satan, who stood watching the scene with his arms crossed over his chest and  a faraway smile on his face. Whatever it was that Asmodeus was humming into his ear, I didn’t really want to know, but I imagined it was nothing good. My stomach churned when I reminded myself that I was going to live with these demons, and I wondered whether I would ever feel safe with them, let alone feel at home. I surely missed the feeling of having a place to call home.  I hadn’t had a home in…decades. 

“Oy, you listenin’ to me??” Mammon’s loud voice awoke me from my deep thoughts, and I realized he was waiting for me to respond.

I shared a look with Solomon, who nodded at me. There was nothing for it but to give in; if Solomon wanted me to do this then I had to trust him, just as he had asked of me. If he asked it of me, I would surrender to his every wish, because he meant so much to me.

“All right,” I said to Mammon, who smirked in a disturbingly superior way.

“Good, that’s what I want to hear. As long as you do as I say, we won’t have any problems. Just be sure you don’t forget which one of us is the boss here.”

My eyes  briefly  flicked to Lucifer,  seeing  Asmodeus snicker behind  his back before winking at me  playfully.  Mammon seemed to notice the exchange, or at least Asmodeus’s response to his claims, because he twisted on the spot and addressed Lucifer with  flustered cheeks. “I wanna make one thing clear right now: Don’t blame me if someone gets eaten, ‘cause it ain’t my fault.”

At that, there was a loud growling noise coming from the left, and to my surprise, it seemed to have come from Beelzebub, who stood there clutching his stomach with a somber look on his face. “Lucifer,” he said wistfully. “I’m hungry.”

“That’s too bad.” Lucifer’s voice was merciless. “Now behave yourself.”

His words caused Beelzebub to lower his eyes in disappointment, but he didn’t object.  He reminded me of a pouting toddler that had  his candy stolen from him. He even made me feel bad for him. There was something altogether innocent about this particular demon, though I also knew that looks could be deceiving. For now however, he seemed to be a gentle giant. 

Asmodeus on the other hand, was clearly more mischievous; he was watching me with sparkling eyes that lingered on more than my face alone. This one was trouble, that much was obvious. I made a mental note to stay away from him as much as possible, and to make sure to lock my door.

Beside him, Satan was also assessing me, but at least his  eyes didn’t travel to places where it didn’t belong.  Instead there was something about his  gaze that made me feel even more uncomfortable. I feared I might burst into flames by the intensity of  it , and then something even worse happened; he smiled at me. But it was not a kind smile. It was a smile that told me  we both knew that  I was in trouble,  and he enjoyed this knowledge.

A  lump arose in my throat, and I swallowed it down with a fair amount of trouble. This truly was the worst thing that Solomon had ever done to me. 

“Sorea,” Lucifer continued as Beelzebub continued to pout beside him. “It is Lord Diavolo’s dream to bring humans, angels and demons together as friends, and live in harmony. I share this desire with him and you will be the foundation of it. If you do well, you will be rewarded. I understand this evening has been a lot to take in and you might need a moment to let it sink in, so I would like for you to retire for the night. Mammon will see you home. You will find everything you need there.” He glanced over his shoulder at Mammon, who sighed heavily, but shot into action nonetheless. He swiftly moved past me and towards the door before I even had a chance to open my mouth. 

Again the thought of being forced to share a bed with Satan popped up in my head, and I unintentionally looked his way.

Lucifer must have seen the panic on my face, because he smiled and added calmly, “There is no need for concern, you will have your own room.  Rest well.” 

The relief was most likely visible on my face, but I didn’t mind. At least I was allowed to have a room of my own, and a weight fell off my shoulders.

Solomon softly spoke my name and nudged me in the arm, nodding his head at the door through which Mammon disappeared. I only just managed to catch a glimpse of his white hair before he  vanished from view.  Afraid I might get lost on my very first night in this wretched realm, I mumbled a subdued ‘good night’ and  hurried after  him.


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 2 **

The night wind slapped me in the face when I stepped outside, my hair whipping around my face. I tried in vain to tame it with my hands, but my vision was obscured by  wavy  strands of chocolate. It took me a moment to locate Mammon, who was strolling down the street some distance away.  If it weren’t for his white hair that almost lit up like a match head, I might not even have spotted him. Without paying any attention to my surroundings, I bounded down the steps and ran after him. 

If this was his way of taking care of me, this was going to be a very long year indeed.

I caught up with him half a minute later, but he didn’t even so much as look at me when I appeared by his side.

“Ugh…” he muttered to himself. “I don’t believe this. Of all the rotten luck...Why should _I_ have to look after some human? It’s insulting, that’s what it is!” Did he even realize that I could hear him? He seemed to be talking to himself, sulking over the task that he’d been appointed with. “This should be Satan’s job, not mine…” Mammon continued to talk as if I wasn’t there, but I wasn’t tempted to stop him. What was there to say? “That rotten bastard…” he cursed. “Does he really think he can scare me into doin’ whatever he wants? And just so we’re clear…It’s not like I can’t say no to Lucifer, okay?!” It took a moment for me to understand that he was speaking to me instead of to himself. He quickly averted his eyes as he continued to mutter under his breath. “I only agreed to babysit you because, um…Well, you know, because…uh….” His voice drifted off, making it difficult for me to hear him over the fierce wind. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter!” he said more firmly this time. “Just don’t go thinking that I’m scared of Lucifer or anything. Because I’m not!” 

His ramblings were beginning to amuse me, he was clearly not the prestigious luminary he presented himself to be.

“All right,” I said, refraining myself from adding ‘if you say so’.

“…Oh,” he said, sounding a little disappointed for some reason. “Okay then, as long as we’ve got that straight.” His pace quickened to a degree where I had trouble keeping up with him.

His long legs seemed to be moving faster and faster, almost as if he were suddenly in a hurry to get home. My heels were clicking on the pavement, echoing around the dark and silent street.

Soon, we were stalking past a high hedge that rose up  at least two feet above my head, obscuring whatever lay beside it. The only thing I could make out, were two turrets that silhouetted the night sky.  Little black blots were circling around the turrets, and it was only when I squinted my eyes that I saw they were bats flying at high speed. 

I almost ran straight into Mammon when he suddenly halted. “Tch…” he muttered. “Watch where ya goin’, will ya?”

Only then did I notice we’d arrived at a massive iron gate with sharp looking spikes sitting on top, and when my eyes traveled further I finally saw what those turrets belonged to.

A path led up to a large ominous looking mansion.  It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. The turrets were there, as were there balconies and massive ornaments decorating the outer walls. It almost felt more like a castle, and I couldn’t help but feel curious as to what the interior would be like. There was something both intriguing and haunting about the pace, and I was yet to decide which one trumped the other. 

The bats came flying our way as Mammon pushed the gate open and went right over our heads. He didn’t wait for me to enter, he simply slipped inside and left me standing outside. I considered his silence an invitation to enter the property, so I followed after him and closed the gate behind me.

It was too dark to make out the entire garden around the house, but there were paths and old crumbling walls and even flowers. Though I wondered how they even grew here; Solomon had taught me long ago that it was always dark in the Devildom.  A few benches lined the path, and I thought I could distinguish a few more a little further into the garden, but the small lanterns that lit up the garden didn’t reach far enough for me to see. 

Behind the large mansion was what appeared to be a large stretch of grass that ended in a tree-line. At least, that’s what I thought the dark mass in the distance was.

This garden was actually quite charming, and I enjoyed my surroundings as I followed after Mammon along the lit path. Fireflies were dancing around the lanterns, and I even thought I saw a black butterfly take off from the flowerbed on the left, near a bench. How lovely this place would look if the sun had the chance to shine on it.

The feeling I got from the mansion had instantly shifted towards intriguing, perhaps even inviting, though it still looked rather sinister in the dark.

Mammon dragged his legs up the steps towards the front doors, which were illuminated by lanterns on either side, giving off a soft, warm yellow glow.

The ancient looking wooden door creaked as he opened one, revealing to me a grand entrance hall with two sets of marble stairs leading to the upper levels of the house on either side. Paintings adorned the high purplish blue walls. A long carpeted hallway led further into the house. Beside the stairs, as if guarding the entry into the living area of the mansion, stood two massive dragon-like stone gargoyles. Their tales wrapped around the high pedestals they were sitting on, lowering their horned heads threateningly. The rest of the house was separated from the entry hall by a large wooded arch, beyond which I could see a lit fireplace and a sofa. 

This place wasn’t at all what I was used to, but I appreciated the elegance nonetheless.  A small spark of curiosity awakened in my mind about what my own room would be like. 

Mammon halted in the center of the hall and finally faced me. “This is the House of Lamentation,” he explained, though he didn’t seem as reluctant as he had before. Perhaps he was proud of the place he called home. “It’s one of the dorms here at RAD,” he continued. “Well, it’s not  _just_ one of the dorms, it’s the dorm reserved for student council members.” His face fell and a bit of his old attitude resurfaced. “ Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can to insult me. Callin’ me scum, sayin’ that I’m a money-grubber and stuff…But I’m an officer of the student council, same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid.” Suddenly, a bright smile lit up his face and he noticeably puffed up his chest. “In other words, I’m a big shot. A _real_ big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am.” His words were obviously meant to impress me, but I did not care for people who liked to brag, whether there was truth in it or not. It seemed he caught on to my thoughts, and it must have been written on my face, because he features once again turned dark, his blue eyes glaring at me from underneath his white bangs. “So don’t you go thinking that I’m just some ordinary demon. I’m nothing like those other peons walking the halls here. By the way, Diavolo is even more of a big shot. He’s so important that he’s got his own castle. That’s why he doesn’t live here with us.” 

Of course, I already knew this. Lord Diavolo was the Prince of Hell, the next ruler of the Devildom. But I would be wise to keep my knowledge to myself. As far as everyone here knew, I was some ignorant human.

“I see,” I replied, trying to sound neutral. 

Mammon narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously, but he let my lack of response slide. “…Anyway, the long and short of it, is that us seven brothers all live here together, just like Lucifer said. Now, it’s time to show you to your room. Hurry up, or I’m gonna leave ya behind.” He turned and made his way over to the righthand stairs, without waiting to see if I followed.

Once we’d made it up the stairs, Mammon led me into a long wide hallway going off towards the left and the right. The  purplish walls were lined with torches, though they held bulbs instead of actual fire. They cast an eerie blue light along the walls and on the carpet on the floor. There were many  polished black  doors along the hall on both sides. Expensive looking vases and more paintings were positioned here and there, and four large chandeliers with doused candles were hanging from the ceiling. 

Mammon moved right at the top of the stairs and I followed without question. He clearly wasn’t pleased with his task of being my guide, and I couldn’t help but think he was nothing but a blackguard. The  way he wore his uniform, all wrinkled and unbuttoned, made it clear to me that he had a certain disregard for rules, and didn’t bother with them. Granted, he was a demon, so it shouldn’t have surprised me,  but the others I’d met had seemed at least a little disciplined, though some more than others. 

There was still something gnawing at me,  possibly  worry over the fact that I was to be stuck in a house with seven  male  demon lords.  And alone, at that. Again I wondered what Solomon had been thinking bringing me here, though he might not have expected I’d be staying here with the Lords. Perhaps he’d thought I’d be staying with him, where he could have kept me safe. 

At the moment, I felt far from safe. I felt nervous, in fact, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

We arrived at a door on the left hand side near the end of the long hallway and Mammon unceremoniously dumped me there. “Here’s your room, enjoy, bye.” Without so much as a second glance, he opened the door across and disappeared inside, slamming the door behind him.

I flinched at the sound and heaved a deep sigh before opening the  ebony  door to what I hoped was my own room.  Unmistakably, there was magic in this mansion that  the demons had referred to as the ‘House of Lamentation’, because as soon as I closed the door behind me, dim lights came on, offering me a view of a surprisingly cozy and comfortable looking bedroom. 

There was a large bed in the center, with a thick mattress and plenty of squishy looking  peach colored  pillows and cushions. Behind the door was a large wardrobe and a massive bookcase covered the entire wall opposite the bed. The shelves were empty, though there didn’t seem to be a fleck of dust on them. Had they cleaned everything before I got here, or was this room simply freshly furnished?  The walls were painted in a deep color purple, though it was a rather warm feeling tone, with a hue of peach.  A wooden desk stood on one side of the window, and a dressing table on the other. I saw myself reflected in the large mirror that stood atop it, finding that I looked a bit too apprehensive for my own liking. 

When my gaze traveled away from the mirror, they fell on a door on the other side of the bed. Curious, I walked around the bed and opened the door to see where it led. An actual chuckle escaped me when I was greeted with a rather lush looking bathroom. 

Again the walls were purple in color, but the white bath, sink and toilet were in stark contrast. Three small windows were aligned high up in the wall, leaving little niches adorned with purple and peach colored candles.  Even the soap resting on the sink was purple.  A closet with fluffy looking white and purple towels was standing close to the claw-footed bathtub. All the tabs were  bronze and curved. 

The sight of my own private bathroom made me itch to get a bath going. It seemed I had discovered my first good thing here.  If only that bookcase wasn’t so empty. Though with a mansion this size, I suspected there was some form of a library. Perhaps they would allow me to visit it. 

In fact, now that I thought of it, what exactly was I allowed to do? Was I to be a prisoner or would they let me roam around freely and do as I wish? Lucifer had mentioned school, starting the following morning, but I’d never been to school. Everything I knew I taught myself or was taught during my time in London, when I lived in service of my then best friend Madison and later, by Solomon. Before meeting Madison I lived on the streets, unable to even read a single word and write nothing but my own name. Solomon had been the one to teach me all kinds of different languages and had given me knowledge unlike any human being had any business of knowing. If I had been human,  of course. 

After closing the door to the bathroom and promising myself I would take a bath the next evening, my eyes fell on the bed once more. There were two black bags that I recognized as my own sitting on the foot of the bed and beside them stood a black woven basket with what appeared to be  a fresh toothbrush and rather lush smelling bath bombs. In a variety of purple of course. There was also a black envelope with a golden border. 

I opened it to find a white piece of paper with slender and neat handwriting;

_Sorea,_

_ Myself, Lord Diavolo and my brothers, welcome you to the Devildom.  _

_I expect you are momentarily feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I would like to assure you that you are safe here with us. My brothers and I will look after you should you come across any problems in the future. I do however wish to warn you not to trust any_ _other_ _demons you encounter._ _Demons have a natural urge to devour any pure soul they lay eyes upon, and the outcome can be rather unpleasant to say the least. To ensure your safety, I ask you not to leave the grounds unattended at any time. You are not to leave the house after ten in the evening during weekdays, not even if one of my brothers persuades you to do otherwise. They can be quite mischievous, I’m afraid. Do not let them corrupt you._

_ You are expected at eight in the morning for breakfast on weekdays. School starts at nine.  Your RAD uniform can be found in your wardrobe. _

_Furthermore, everyone in this house has their tasks, and I would very much appreciate it if you would participate._

_ There is probably no need to explain this to you, but it would be best if you keep your secret to yourself  and refrain from confiding in anyone else. This includes Satan for the time being. Should you wish to discuss the matter, you will come to me and me alone. I am always available to you should the need arise.  _

_If there is anything else, do not hesitate to come to me._

_~Lucifer_

Lucifer. Even in his letters he came across as dominant and prideful. Being given strict rules was not something I was accustomed to. For as long as I could remember, Solomon and I went wherever we pleased, whenever we pleased. To be locked up in this mansion would truly make me feel like a captive.

It was good to know that Lucifer welcomed me gracefully, but I truly did not understand why. What exactly was he gaining from this arrangement? It had nothing to do with him directly, and I couldn’t imagine it had been Satan’s request. Perhaps Solomon had promised Lucifer or Lord Diavolo something in return? But what could they possibly want that Solomon could offer? Surely as mighty High Demons, they could acquire whatever they wanted?

Instead of feeling better, I felt only more confused, but pondering on it too much would only ruin whatever was left of my evening. Tomorrow, I would have to indulge in the presence of demons, and so I needed to put my mind at ease.

Thinking about what Lucifer had said in his letter, I stepped over to the wardrobe and opened it. Inside hung three uniforms in the same style as the brothers had b een wearing when we were introduced.  Only instead of trousers, my uniform came with a skirt in that typical school-girl fashion. Three  white blouses – after hearing Mammon’s words I presumed green was limited to council members– were neatly suspended from hangers, and I’d apparently been given the option to either wear a tie or a bow. Feeling rather annoyed at having to wear something so different from my own style, I slammed the wardrobe shut, thinking this couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

How very wrong it had been to assume that. 

* * * * *

That evening, Satan pondered about the situation more than he cared to admit, even to himself. Despite his own reluctance, he’d been a little curious about meeting the human, if only to see what all the fuss was about. Needless to say, he’d been disappointed. There had been nothing special or remarkable about her, though he did suppose she could be deemed lovely –or perhaps even beautiful– as far as human standards were concerned. She surely was different compared to demon females, that much was clear. Apart from High Demons like himself and his brothers, no other demon looked human; some had subtle additions, such as horns or a tail and forked tongues, and some didn’t look remotely human, being covered in fur or reptilian skin. They came in all shapes and sizes.

Perhaps seeing a human among all these colorful looking demons was a little intriguing, but she remained nothing more than a human being, the very thing creatures such as himself were made to corrupt and deceive. Not that he had any interest in doing that to this girl for now, she’d seemed in a bad enough state as it was.

So no one had told her about the arrangement?

She’d looked positively rattled  at the news. Her amber eyes had gone wide with what he imagined was fear, and he couldn’t help but feel a little amused at her rather  virtuous reaction. The girl was about to have a  very difficult time.  Satan wasn’t particularly bothered with such things, but not letting her in on the joke did seem unnecessarily cruel. Especially for someone like Solomon, though he was known for his devious actions.  He’d expected as much from Lucifer, who never hesitated to manipulate if he felt the need for it, but it seemed even Lucifer had been surprised over the fact that no one had informed the poor girl. Poor girl? What was he even thinking? The poor girl was the sole cause of his displeasure, and he had no intention of coming to her aid in any way. She’d be devoured alive before the week was over, and it would be good riddance and the end of his misery.  Lucifer would most likely not be amused, but Satan didn’t care about that either. All he cared about was being left alone.

* * * * *

Even his sleep had been ruined by pointless thoughts about his predicament. Satan woke up in an even worse mood than the day before, and he blamed no one but the human girl for it. If his grades were to plummet because he failed to concentrate in class, there was going to be trouble for her. In fact, he decided he would ignore her very existence. If Lucifer wanted someone to hold her hand, then he was more than welcome to himself. Satan had others things to do, such as studying and  finding out how quickly he could get his new stack of finished books to reach the ceiling of his bedroom. He reckoned he had about fifteen more to go. 

After getting ready and dressed, he made his way down the long hallway and down the stairs. Some of his brothers had already arrived at the breakfast table judging by the sounds of voices drifting up the stairs, but Satan hoped that the human would stay away until he’d gone out. He’d gotten up earlier than usual in hope of avoiding –correction, ignoring– her.

As expected, the ones already at the table were his two younger brothers Beel and Asmo, and his older brother Mammon.  As per usual, Levi wasn’t up yet, since he always stayed up late playing his weird games.  Lucifer was nowhere to be seen, but that was more a rule than an exception; he was an early riser and usually ate before  the others did on weekdays.  He was so eager to please Lord Diavolo that Satan wouldn’t be surprised to find he actually slept on his desk so he could continue with his work the moment he opened his eyes. That is, if his body didn’t continue to work while he slept. That wouldn’t be surprising either. It was sickening to say the least, that someone as prideful as his oldest brother was nothing short of  pathetic in his desperate fervor concerning the Demon Prince. 

“Morning, Satan!” Beel said through a mouthful of what looked like toast with pixie eggs when Satan entered the dining room.

Satan mumbled something in response and sat down at the table opposite Asmo, who beamed at him while  painting his nails in between careful bites of his toast. 

“Well, good morning sunshine!” Asmo sang.

“Is it?” Satan simply muttered. He wasn’t even in the mood to retort to Asmo’s teasing today. 

“Yo, do ya really gotta do that stuff at the table?” Mammon shot at Asmo as he eyed the opened bottle of nail polish standing dangerously close to his own plate.

“Why don’t you worry about your own business, like escorting our new guest to school?”

Mammon snorted at that, as if that were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Forget it, I  ain’t about to ruin my image  by showing up at school with  a human on my arm.”

“Sorry, what image is that?” Asmo teased, earning his an exasperated look from Mammon. “The only image I’m seeing is you strung up by your ankles from the chandelier if you continue to neglect your responsibilities.”

“Gah!” Mammon suddenly gasped. “I’m outta here! If Lucifer comes lookin’ for me, I wasn’t here.” With that, he snatched his uniform jacket off the back of his chair and hurried from the room while clumsily trying to shove his arms into the sleeves. 

His brothers’ constant bickering was ruining Satan’s mood even further. They always acted like this, and at times he even  enjoyed it and  felt compelled to join in, but there was absolutely nothing funny about today. All he wanted was to finish his breakfast and get ready for school. He couldn’t even blame Mammon for failing to do as he was told this time, because this time Satan agreed with him. This whole situation was a nuisance to say the least. 

“So, Satan,” Asmo started with a charming smile, clearly having decided on a new victim now that Mammon had left. “Have you thought about your wedding night yet?” Satan almost choked on his coffee, which only added to Asmo’s amusement. “Considering your inexperience, I’d be more than willing to teach you a thing or two. And since you’re such a fan of reading, I have a few steamy books you can borrow. But I’d be more than willing to teach you myself.”

An angry  scowl formed on Satan’s face. “Who’re you calling inexperienced??”  He wasn’t  _that_ green. 

“You know your hand doesn’t count, right?” Asmo shot back with grin. “Surely you wouldn’t want to come up short?”

Movement from the doorway caught Satan’s eye just as he was about to snap something rather unpleasant, and he found Lucifer standing on the threshold with Sorea hovering by his side, wearing a RAD uniform –minus tie or bow– and a frown not unlike his own. The look on Lucifer’s face was to be expected, but it was the affronted look on Sorea’s face that was most surprising. She walked into the dining room –looking rather composed, he had to give her that– and made for the table, snatching the first edible thing she found off the plate and almost crushed it in her fist. Clearly, she wasn’t as composed as she appeared.

Her eyes settled on Asmo, and Satan could have sworn he saw little sparks of gold swirl around in those amber colored orbs.  “I  will have you know there  shall be no fornicating,” she snapped at Asmo,  whose brows rose in surprise at her outburst .  If her flushing face was any indication, Satan was fairly sure she was trying very hard not to look at him ,  but he couldn’t help  but  feel a little amused at her  old fashioned  choice of words. Fornicating? Really?  “And for your information,”  Sorea continued,  sounding less  conservative  this time. “I am yet to agree to anything.” With that, she stuffed the  toast into her mouth and stalked out of the room, leaving the brothers to stare after her. 

“What a very distasteful conversation to have,” Lucifer broke the silence, clearly not amused. “Not to mention despicable.” Then he shifted his stern gaze from Asmo to Satan, who had barely taken part in said conversation. “And you,” Lucifer added. “I expected more from you.” 

This was typical Lucifer; this unreasonable, unfair way he treated others. He was always on Satan’s case about something, and he was just about finished with it. His stomach twisted into a  knot as he tried hard to resist grabbing his glass of poison apple juice and throw it at his conceited brother. It was pure willpower that prevented him from doing so, even though the image in his head was more than a little satisfying. 

“Where’s Mammon?” Lucifer asked with a sigh, as if he had already expected him to be skipping his duties. “Don’t tell me he’s already left.” Duties. Like they were all his subordinates. “How very surprising. Satan, escort Sorea to school, and please don’t embarrass me more than you already have.”

Satan slowly rose up from the table, his eyes boring into Lucifer, who observed this with nothing but a cock of his dark eyebrow.  He wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to happen, but he was beyond caring for consequences. This had been a poor day to begin with, but of course Lucifer had managed to make it worse. 

“Is there something you wish to say, Satan?” Lucifer’s voice was calm, waiting for the situation to unfold. He’d always been frustratingly patient if he wanted to, and yet there had been something challenging in his voice.

Satan already knew that he couldn’t intimidate his brother; Lucifer was simply fearless, dominance was in his very nature. None dared oppose him, his word was law, and that very fact ticked Satan off beyond anything else. It wasn’t jealousy, nor was it anger over something he had done. It was simply deep-rooted dislike for his very existence. Satan wasn’t sure how much  more of it he could take. His jaw clenched as he looked into those dark eyes, eyes that gave away nothing, not even a hint of anger, the way Satan’s no doubt did. 

“Isn’t it a bit early for this stuff?” Levi walked into the room, fixing his hair with his hands. “You guys are so lame.” He sat himself down at the table beside Beel, who sat watching the situation with a concerned frown on his face.

Somehow, Satan was glad for Levi’s interruption, because with the arrival of his brother the moment had been broken, and he felt his anger fade to annoyance. “I’m  out of here,” he said and walked right past Lucifer into the entry hall and out the large, heavy wooden doors leading outside. He took notice of the human sitting on a bench near the flower patch, nibbling on her toast. Their eyes met for only the briefest of moments, before he continued to ignore her and left through the  wrought  iron gates  to see whether at least the remainder of the day could be salvaged.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

I watched Satan disappear through the gates and sighed. There had been a moment where our had eyes met, but there  had been nothing lovely about the f leeting interaction.  His obvious indifference towards me made me feel even more unwelcome. The conversation I had overheard between Asmodeus and Satan had left me feeling rather uncomfortable, though thankfully I had been spared Satan’s further reaction to his brother’s taunts. I might have ended up  running from the mansion feeling too embarrassed to correct and confront either of them. 

Needless to say, my stay here was less than pleasant, even with the wonderful bedroom and bathroom they had provided me with.  That felt like nothing more than bribery at this point.  Reminding myself that I was free to leave at any time was the only way to prevent myself from fleeing. Yet, the very thought of having to spend the entire day in school with them did distress me quite a bit more than I cared to admit. 

Granted, first days in school were  supposedly  never pleasant, but usually the other students weren’t trying to eat your soul or corrupt you, and eventually there was always someone friendly enough to share the burden with. I doubted very much that friendly was even an existing trait for a demon.  Solomon might be there, though I doubted he needed anymore schooling. 

“I’d like to apologize,” Lucifer’s deep voice spoke from beside me, ending my pining. “On behalf of my brothers. At times I wonder how it’s possible that they are in any way related to me.” 

Though he was apologizing, which in itself was a surprise considering his pride, he clearly felt the need to let me know how much better he thought of himself. Lucifer may seem to be noble at first impression, but I felt there was much more to the way he presented himself. Whether  it were good or bad remained yet to be seen. For now however, he’d been the only one polite to me, apart from Lord Diavolo himself. 

“Thank you,” I said to him while I took my last bite of dry toast. I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry this morning, but I knew that not eating anything would only make matters worse.

I glanced up again at Lucifer, who’s tall form seemed ominous against the dark sky, and only half of his face was illuminated by the lights near the entrance to the mansion. Although it was morning, the sun never came up in the Devildom. In fact, they had no sun. There was only ever darkness, something that made me feel quite gloomy. Getting out of the warm comfortable bed this morning had been a bit of a challenge, though I normally had no trouble getting up. My mood had simply been too dark, and the blackness outside the window had only managed to make it worse.

“Since Mammon has so conveniently decided to choose today of all days to become a model student, allow me to escort you to school.” Lucifer’s offer seemed to be laced with suppressed annoyance, but I was aware it was directed more at his younger brother than at me. 

Even if I thought Lucifer to be cold and strict, I preferred having him walk me to school rather than Mammon, who seemed to hate me simply for being here. If he were here, he would most likely insult me all the way to the Academy, or leave me behind halfway there. Needless to say, he was the worst guide ever. Why Lucifer chose him as my guide, I couldn’t fathom. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Mammon was the second eldest, and was therefor expected to show a certain amount of responsibility. Which he clearly didn’t.

I  got up from the bench and followed Lucifer as he started walking towards the iron gates Satan had disappeared through earlier. 

The streets were  dark as night, the old fashioned street lights casting shadows around us as we walked passed the tall hedge that bordered between the mansion’s grounds and the pavement. Undeniably, there was a certain charm to my new surroundings, and perhaps if my mind hadn’t been so gloomy, I might actually have enjoyed exploring this place. 

Apart from not having to listen to Mammon’s complaints, walking with Lucifer might add another advantage; I would finally get the chance to ask him why he even agreed to the arrangement of having me remain here in the first place. It was something that I had been wondering about ever since yesterday, and I couldn’t quite understand what his motives were. Nor did I understand Satan’s motives for having accepted the  settlement. He seemed to be far from pleased with it. 

“I take it you’re not happy with the deal that Solomon and I have made,” Lucifer started after some time, somehow picking up on my mood. It was hardly a question, and I hardly needed to answer him. “Is Satan not to your liking?” he then continued, and I looked up at him in surprise. “It is true that some of my other brothers may be more physically appealing –”

“What..?” I gasped, thinking he clearly misunderstood. “N-no! That isn’t it, he’s not–” For a moment, I was at a loss for what to say. Did Lucifer suspect that my problem was of physical nature..? Now I was even more concerned about their reasons for having done this. “My reluctance has nothing to do with his appearance, and I honestly don’t see what that matters?”

“Solomon told me that you were a level-headed, sober kind of girl,” Lucifer continued as if I hadn’t contradicted his statement. “And though Satan can be mischievous, he is also steady and dependable, and his pranks are mostly harmless. I thought he would match you best. My other brothers are too immature for this kind of responsibility, as Mammon has taken upon himself to prove once again, this morning.” His voice turned dark at the end. 

It was clear that Mammon was going to be in trouble when he got home.  He had of course been neglecting me and refusing to follow Lucifer’s command. Not that I minded that he wasn’t here with me. 

We turned a corner together, and he led me down a wide lane with dead looking trees on either side. There was a heavy mist further down the street, but as we got closer, a massive Gothic looking building began to take shape in the distance.  At least five towers rose up into the starless sky.  Figures were moving around the pathway leading up to the entrance and the street running along the large open gates. 

“If you’re worried about the way Satan has been acting,” Lucifer said calmly as we got closer to where I would be spending most of the week.“Don’t be. I’m certain he will come around.”

It wasn’t that I worried about the way he ignored me, or possibly even avoided me, I  had only been here for one night  after all. But the way he had  glanced at me with that look of utter indifference moments ago was more than enough proof that he had no interest of reaching out to me. Perhaps he even loathed me for throwing his life upside down. If he did, I couldn’t really blame him for that. It was clear to me that neither of us had had a say in the matter, and neither of us appeared to be coping very well. Add to that the fact that he was the Avatar of Wrath, and his reaction wasn’t surprising in the least. In fact, I ought to be lucky he hadn’t thrown a fit at my appearance. Or perhaps he already had before my arrival. 

“He didn’t seem very enthusiastic to me,” I replied to Lucifer truthfully.

“Satan has agreed to protect you when I asked it of him,” Lucifer simply stated, his tone regal and proud. “That is all that matters.”

“And yet his motivations for agreeing to this arrangement remain unclear to me. As do yours.”

There was a moment’s hesitation before Lucifer spoke, and his words were precisely those I had expected.  “My motivations are not of your concern  as of yet.  Perhaps in the future you might come to understand.”

“Am I to believe you have no malicious intent for doing this?”

Lucifer stopped walking, his tall frame causing me to do the same. He turned to face me, and for the first time I saw something that resembled warmth in his dark eyes. I might even go as far as to say it felt like kindness.  “Of that I assure you.”  He placed a gloved hand against his chest, almost as if he were swearing by his words. 

“Nor do you wish to use me to achieve some devious plan?”

A small smile played around his lips,  but his eyes remained soft as he looked at me. “Not at all.” His words felt like truth to me, but I was also aware that demons had their own cunning ways of deception. 

“And Satan?” I asked, hoping that Lucifer could at least promise me that much.

Lucifer’s eyes shifted from mine to the entrance of the school, where Satan stood talking to Solomon  on the front steps. “Why don’t you try asking him?” 

Relieved as I suddenly felt about seeing Solomon again, I didn’t like it at all that he was speaking with Satan. With the way he had betrayed my trust by bringing me here without letting me in on his plans, I was now worried he was conspiring against me a bit more.

“This is where I leave you, Sorea,” Lucifer informed me without waiting for me to answer his suggestion. “I’m afraid I have somewhere important to be. Be mindful today, and stay close to Solomon whenever you can. Demons are no laughing matter.” He smiled at me again, albeit a bit sadly. “But I suppose there is no need for me to tell you that. Enjoy your first day.”

I watched Solomon politely greet Lucifer on the steps, and then his gaze fell on me, standing there and feeling a bit lost.

“Sorea!” he exclaimed happily and bounded down the steps to greet me. “How was your first night? No strange occurrences I hope?” Behind him, Satan disappeared through the massive oak doors of the Academy without so much as a glance our way.

“No, it was perfect, thank you,” I said to Solomon as my eyes remained glued to the entrance to the school. More students were entering, and all of them varied in appearance. There was something altogether ominous about watching this Gothic building fill up with demons. “Solomon,” I focused my attention back on the silver-haired sorcerer standing before me. “What were you discussing with Satan just now?”

“Jealous already?” Solomon smirked, and then grinned even harder at my expression. He simply loved teasing me. “We were discussing today’s classes. I’m afraid you and I aren’t taking our first class together, Sorea.” He took a folded paper sheet from his pocket and held it out to me. “This is your time-table. It’s been a long time since either of us has been in school, but I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Then he looked at me sympathetically. “I’m really sorry for having brought you here like this…I know you’re upset, but try not to think about your circumstances for now, all right?” 

So I was to be alone for at least the first hour of school? What was he thinking, leaving me alone like this? And in the Devildom of all places? Exactly what was expected of me here? I hadn’t asked to become an exchange student –while I was no student at all– and I hadn’t wanted to become betrothed to anyone, and yet here I was. He’d told me that he would take me to the Devildom for a year so we would have some time to make plans for the future, but my future appeared to be set in stone, and it  was bound to be miserable. A year from now, he would leave me here, and I would have to remain here until the end of days, tethered to some demon that had his own reasons for keeping me as his pet. 

“Sorea –” Solomon began when he saw my face change from concern to slight panic.

“I want to go home, Solomon,” I pleaded with him, no longer caring about how weak it made me sound. I grabbed on to his hands in hope that he would understand how I felt. “I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to be married to a demon. Please don’t take my freedom from me, Sol, please.”

He tried to shush me, but I wouldn’t listen until he took me by the shoulders and shook me gently. “Listen to me, angel.” His voice was soft and soothing, the same tone he used whenever I got frightened or hurt. Solomon was the only one I fully trusted in my life, and even though he had tricked me, I knew his soul to be pure, and his intentions to be benign. “ This will be no different from all the other challenges we’ve faced. Steel yourself, Sorea, like you’ve done so many times before. I know you can do it.” 

I took a deep breath at his words, remembering how I had taught myself to wear a mask to hide myself behind, to not let people taunt me into telling truths I didn’t wish to tell.

“Now,” Solomon smiled when he saw me calm down. “I will only be absent for the first two hours. Your first class is Demonology, and after that Ancient Greek. I will find you after your second class and we can go to Human studies together. Can you do that?” 

Slowly, I nodded, feeling a little more sure of myself. If it weren’t for the fact that I’d be entering a building full of demons like a piece of bait, I might not have worried so much, but it felt like that was exactly what I would be doing. Still, I knew that I had to at least give this a chance. I’d new that in some way, I was a coward, and I’d always known when to run instead of attack, but it had kept me safe for centuries.

“Good girl.” Solomon pressed a kiss to my forehead and took me by the hand to lead me through the gates.

Above the gates, in letters almost as tall as I was, were the words ‘Royal Academy of Diavolo’, but right then, they felt like the very gates of hell to me.

We were standing in a large foyer with dark midnight-blue carpet. Grand staircases led to the upper floors from both ends of the entrance hall. The ceiling was so high I had to crane my neck. A truly magnificent chandelier carrying at least a thousand white candles was positioned right above my head. A few students lingered by the lockers standing against the walls on either side  of the large entrance hall. Between the two staircases, more carpet covered the floor of an extremely long and wide hallway, leading off to more hallways. 

The place was buzzing with energy, I could feel it in my very bones. It was the type of energy that made one feel slightly uneasy, though I couldn’t quite say why. Perhaps it was because it was demonic in origin, but I already sensed that it would take some time to get used to.

A shiver ran down my spine, making me shudder.

“Yes, it tends to do that, this place,” Solomon commented when he saw my reaction. “Come, I will lead you to your first class, but then I really have to go, or I’ll be late.” He took me by the hand again and I followed after him like an obedient puppy.

We went down the hallway, passing doors and more hallways, almost to the very end.

“This is your Demonology class. I expect you’ll perform well. Don’t let anyone get to you. I will see you soon.” After another smile, he turned and made his way back up the hallway, leaving me to stare after him with a slightly thumping heart.

The curved wooden door by which he’d left me stood ajar, and I could hear voices coming from inside. It didn’t seem like class had started yet, which was all the best for me.

Slowly, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

At the front of the class stood a man –at least I thought he was a man– with hair as white as snow and skin as green as a lizard’s. His yellow eyes settled on me as the door creaked, and he smiled a horrible smile.

“Ah, yes,” he said in a deep raspy voice that reminded me of rocks rubbing together. “Our new arrival.”

At that, the entire class fell silent and turned in their seats to look at me. My eyes moved around the room, observing, assessing. 

“Oh, look!” a voice called from the other end of the room, near the window. “Food’s here.” A young demon with pale skin and black markings across his face was grinning at me, flashing a set of razor sharp looking teeth. His eyes were completely black, and another shiver ran up my spine.

“Find a seat,” the teacher said, his voice nor harsh, nor gentle. Rather indifferent. 

I looked around the room again, finding Mammon sitting alone at a desk in the back of class, feverishly looking the other way. At the front of class were Simeon and Luke, sitting side by side. The both of them offered me a subtle smile of encouragement. To think that the very creatures that were hunting me where the ones to show me kindness. Two tables to the  left, also right at the front of class, sat Satan, his study books spread out across the entire table. 

My gaze traveled back to Mammon, who was now staring at me as though he was looking at something rather nasty. “Ya can’t sit here, ya know,” he suddenly said loudly so the whole class could hear. “Seat’s taken.”

The demon with the facial marks laughed at that, as did the students that sat  around him. 

The seat beside Mammon was clearly not taken, but I decided that I didn’t want to sit with him in the first place. In fact, I didn’t wish to even be in the same room as him. One glance at Satan told me that there was no need to even consider taking a seat next to him. His green eyes were all but burning into me, the warning clear as day.

There was one more table that was occupied by only one student, a table near the window. A small female demon sat with her back pressed against the glass, but if it weren’t for the fact that her eyes were completely white, I might not have noticed her. Her skin and hair were black as ebony, but her teeth flashed when she smiled at me. “You can sit here, I don’t mind.”

“What are you doing, buttering up to that human, Azusa?” The boy with the markings hissed as I sat down beside the girl. “Don’t you know you should eat her?” He laughed darkly, and once again his friends joined in. 

“We’re not all as depraved as you, Azazel,” the girl chimed back. “You’re the one that gives demons a bad name.”

“That’s because we are bad,” Azazel shot back. “And I can’t wait to get me a bite of that tasty–” He suddenly stopped talking, and when I followed his gaze with mine, I found Satan glaring over his shoulder. At first I thought he was glaring at me, but then I realized his blazing eyes were set on Azazel, who had settled back into his chair, albeit with a conceited smirk. 

Of course I knew that the seven brothers were considered the Seven Rulers of Hell, but I hadn’t taken it quite so literally. It seemed however, that they did receive a certain amount of respect, though I was sure that Satan simply felt it was time for class to get started  and it had nothing to do with aiding me. He looked so eager sitting at the very front of class with all his books open before him.  Only then  did it  occur to me that I didn’t have any books to use.

“Here, we can share,” Azusa seemed to catch on to my problem and smiled that horribly white smile again before sliding her book into the centre of the table. Then she leaned in closer to me, dropping her voice. “You need to watch out for Azazel. He’s a rotten creature. But I hear there’s someone looking out for you.” She smiled and her white eyes shifted, though I couldn’t see exactly where to.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“Well, aren’t you going to be married to Satan?”

I almost choked on the small gasp that got caught in the back of my throat, but Azusa only grinned merrily. Whether at my discomfort or at her own words, I didn’t know.

“Who told you that…?” I wasn’t entirely sure, but I suspected my arrangement wasn’t something that ought to be public knowledge. 

“Mammon, of course,” Asura replied in a matter-of-fact way. “He told me this morning.”

I spun around in my seat to throw Mammon an affronted glare, but he wasn’t paying attention to us. His back was pressed against the window and his fingers were busy with what was most likely his D.D.D. under the table.  Perhaps this was the reason Mammon and Satan were sitting so far apart  at their own tables. I imagined that Satan wouldn’t have been very pleased with his brother running his mouth like that.

“Maybe he’ll marry me one day,” Azusa added dreamily. “I’ll be a princess too.” 

Azazel’s evil smirk caught my attention. “Yeah, you’ll be a princess.” He ran a forked tongue across his teeth in what he probably thought was a seductive gesture. “Maybe Satan will share some of that pale flesh of yours  with me.”

“Are you done, Azazel?” the teacher suddenly said, still sounding bland and uninterested. “I’d like to get started.”

“Indeed…” I heard Satan mutter under his breath. 


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

During the rest of the hour and a half of Demonology, the boys behind me kept snickering at my back, especially when our teacher made an effort to show us all kinds of ways in which demons corrupted humans, describing them in great detail and with plenty of examples. Every now and then Azusa hissed at Azazel whenever he’d whisper some remark at me, telling me how he was planning on trying some of those things out on me. It wasn’t that I was intimidated, but this day had started far from unpleasant to say the least and I was ready to leave. Not only had Lucifer refused to tell me his and Satan’s reasons for accepting me here, I was now being regarded as human snack by most of the class.

The only thing that kept me from doing so was the thought of Solomon, and how upset he would be with me if I did. He would accuse me of running away, leaving him disappointed. Not that he wouldn’t understand; he knew me better than anyone.

“Seducing an innocent maiden into killing her family,” Azazel grinned nastily in the seat behind me. “Now that one I like.”

“There is no need for you to bother,” I replied, knowing all to well his comment was aimed at me. Even granting him a glance was too much to ask at this point; he simply wasn’t worth more of my attention, so I kept my back turned to him. “I have no family left to kill. Furthermore, I don’t think you’re very seductive. In fact, I think you’re repulsive.”

I had said it so calmly and in such a matter-of-fact way, that the demon was stunned into silence for a moment. But not for long.

“What did you say?!” he then hissed aggressively, causing a few other class mates to look around at the sudden commotion. “Filthy snack!”

Our teacher droned on like he hadn’t noticed, but it was difficult to imagine that he hadn’t, by now even the angels were glancing our way.

“Sorea..!” Azusa whispered at me in urgent astonishment. “You have to be careful what you say..! This isn’t the human world, these are demons. Aren’t you afraid?”

I tried to focus my attention back on the teacher, already trying to forget all about the previous encounter with Azazel. The demon would most likely retaliate sooner or later, but worrying about that wouldn’t change anything.

“Fear is a state of mind I choose to ignore,” I stated flatly, leaving it at that.

It was something that Solomon liked to say.

The remainder of the lesson passed fairly quietly, and the teacher concluded by informing us next week’s lesson would involve learning about the types of demons in existence and their traits. In all, it had been an interesting class, and I found myself actually looking forward to learning more, something I hadn’t been expecting.

When class ended,  Azazel shoved his chair back with a lot of ruckus.  Before leaving he took the time to shoot me a look full of dark malice. Slowly, the  other  students began leaving the room, though I noticed Satan taking some time to collect all of his books and notes.  It was amusing that he was clearly a very driven demon; he’d always known the answer whenever the teacher asked us something.  T hough he had some competition from Simeon, who seemed equally knowledgable. Much to Luke’s obvious admiration, as he’ d stared up at the dark haired angel in utter awe. 

While Azusa packed her book, she offered me an apologetic smile, and I already knew what she was going to say before she spoke.

“I’m sorry, but we’re not in Human Studies together…Stay close to someone, okay? Mammon!” she then scolded as said demon was rushing from the class room while attempting to zip his bag. “Wait for me!”

Without further a do, she rushed after him, leaving me by myself.

Perhaps Mammon had fled to keep Satan from confronting him about running his mouth, but the blonde demon didn’t appear to be in any rush. He calmly packed his bag, flung it over his shoulder and followed the other students out.

With a final uneasy glance at the teacher, who stood gazing at me with a rather creepy smile on his face, I also left the class room.

I was just in time to see Satan disappearing down the hallway and make for the staircase, but other than that, the corridor was deserted. My eyes drifted around the ancient building, taking in all the details that I would normally have deemed lovely, but were now ornaments of what felt like a prison to me. I felt lost, and quite literally at that. Without a clue where to go next, and no one to keep me company –though I usually preferred it that way– I couldn’t help but feel rather miserable. Again.

“Lost, snack?”

I spun as I heard the familiar voice, but I didn’t get the time to defend myself before I was snatched firmly by the shoulders and shoved back first into the wall.

Azazel was towering over me, his breath catching in my nose. It took almost all of my power of mind not to gag, but I managed. Instead, I stared up at him, once again reminding myself that fear was a state of mind. Though right now, it was difficult to ignore. I would defend myself if I had to, but I preferred to avoid any form of confrontation. My words to him had already gotten me more attention than I cared for, something I had not properly considered.

“Azazel,” I spoke calmly, hoping that he would be susceptible to reason. Part of me already knew that creatures like him were most likely not, and the disdain on his face was enough to confirm that. Still, I had to try. “You have to release me. Think about what you are doing.”

He leaned in even closer, his foul breath washing over my cheeks. “You think you’re something because you  were invited  here to be Satan’s  plaything,” He pulled a face as if that were the nastiest thing he had ever heard,  his claws digging into my arms through my uniform . “But that doesn’t make you anything special. Because he didn’t even look at you, did he?” A vicious smirk made the corners of his mouth curl. “Maybe you’re not what he’d hoped for, and he regrets it. I know I would.”

“You should not talk about things you know nothing about,” I replied while trying to keep from breathing through my nose. “I am not his plaything.”

“Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size,” a deep voice suddenly spoke.

There was no way for me to see who had interrupted us, as Azazel was so close to me that he was all I saw. Somewhere behind his back, someone had come strolling down the hall.

With a snarl, Azazel twisted his head around to look at the intruder, seemingly ready to give whoever it was a piece of mind. Yet his grip on me lessened somewhat, though the aggression didn’t vanish from his face, leaving his jaw clenched in anger.

Only as he looked over his shoulder did I see the tall  ginger haired demon standing a few feet away, red eyes set on us  from  under an angry frown. 

“Why don’t you??” Azazel snapped at him.

“Because I’m not a bully.” His demeanor was casual, though I noticed the way his fists were loosely formed as they hung by his side. “Let her go.”

“Tch…” Azazel all but spat before he set his black eyes on me again. His next words were delivered on a hiss. “One of these days, your princes won’t be here.”

His upper lip curled up in disgust, displaying his razor sharp looking teeth. Then with a final growl, he released me and stomped down the hallway.

“Thank you,” I said to my savior in all honesty as I assessed him. He was truly a sight to behold; all muscle and strength. No wonder Azazel had chosen to retreat, he’d have been no match physically, that much was for certain. Not to mention this was one of the Seven rulers of Hell and most likely extremely powerful. “Beelzebub, right?”

We hadn’t yet exchanged a word since my arrival, and perhaps this was not the most ideal manner of acquainting oneself, but now that we stood face to face in the hallway, introductions were in order.

Suddenly, his face lit up, washing away the scowl that had curved his brow only seconds before.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “But you can call me Beel. Want me to walk you to Human studies? I think we’re taking it together…” His face fell and he looked at the floor, seemingly embarrassed. “I was on my way to class, but I got sidetracked…Ended up in the kitchens.”

I could only smile at how innocent he looked, and I recalled Lucifer telling me that Beel was the Avatar of Gluttony. There was no need for me to ask what he had been doing in the kitchens. There was something gentle about the giant, I felt it in my heart, and I could not help but trust him. It was a feeling I had yet to experience with any of his brothers, including Lucifer. It seemed that even Solomon wasn’t to be trusted right now.

“Come on,” he added and started down the hallway towards the entrance hall.

Without a second thought about any dubious motivations on his end –which was rare for me, I had to admit – I followed after the demon. His gait was confident and strong, and just as I had with Mammon the night before, I had a bit of trouble keeping up with his long strides. Unlike his brother however, Beel did halt halfway down the hall to wait for me, before leading me up the stairs towards the second floor.

“Azazel won’t do anything to you,” he then said to me. “If he does, all hell will freeze over, and he knows it. He’ll be in our next class too, but you can sit with me if you want, I don’t mind.” He smiled at me again, a smile that was altogether too kind for a demon. Especially one of his size.

And now he was offering to actually protect me from having another horrible class.

“Thank you,” I said for the second time in as many minutes. “I would love that.”

“It’s supposed to be Mammon’s job to look after you, right?” he asked as we ascended the steps together. “He’s going to be in so much trouble when we get back.”

His voice turned sad at the end, telling me that this giant of a demon cared more than I thought any demon capable of. The notion was rather strange. Had I been wrong to assume they were all evil and vile?

“Mammon doesn’t care?” I recalled how Mammon had practically skipped breakfast this morning to get out of his guard duty. Lucifer had told me as much.

Lucifer had been quite clear with his instructions, but Mammon had been the one to deliberately ignore them so far.

“He does,” Beel said. “But he doesn’t think that far ahead. Everyone calls him an idiot, but he isn’t stupid… He just has the attention span of a dead goldfish.” 

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or not, so I settled for a small chuckle, hoping I wasn’t offending him.

“I’m the same when it comes to food,” Beel added woefully while we reached the right door and he held it open for me. When we stepped inside, he pointed towards a desk in the very middle of the room. “I always sit there, there’s cookies in the desk.”

For the first time since arriving here, I felt at ease, and as I followed him to our seats, I found I was actually enjoying  myself .

Due to Beel’s presence, Azazel left me alone. Of course he wouldn’t be around all day, but as I had hoped and expected, Solomon was already waiting for me outside the classroom, ready to walk me home. 

Beel said goodbye as he walked off with Asmo, who had also been in our class. The Avatar of Lust blew me a cheeky kiss before heading towards the stairs, and though the act might have put me off earlier, I now found it a bit entertaining. Perhaps these demons weren’t so bad after all. However, I had to watch myself not to trust too easily; demons were tricky and masters of deception. They were capable of letting you see what you wanted to see, a fact that I had been thoroughly reminded of during my first class this morning.

“There is no need to worry about Azazel,” Solomon reassured me as we strolled back to the dorms side by side. “I will have a word with him. Better me than Lucifer. And he should consider himself lucky. He owes me a favor, that one.” A mischievous smile lit up his face, but I decided I didn’t wish to know. 

Solomon had often gone off by himself while we’d lived together, and it was no secret to me that he’d had dealings with all forms of demons. He didn’t always tell me everything, and some things I was better off not knowing.

“You’ll see,” he then added. “Once Azazel is taken care of, you’ll have a great time at RAD. It just takes some getting used to.” His smile became bright and beaming, but this time I was not so easily infected by his optimism.

Time would tell. 

* * * * * *

We sat at the table together to have dinner for the first time, but it didn’t chase away my sense of loneliness. Although I hadn’t really had a home to speak of, I still felt homesick. It had been dark all day – morning, afternoon, evening. It was somewhat depressing. Already I missed the warm sun on my face, even in winter. I also missed Solomon, even though I’d spoken with him only this morning. Having him around me most of the time had been a comfort to me back in the human world, something I’d gotten so used to that I had forgotten how to be alone. And I felt alone.

Asmodeus at least had attempted to make me feel welcome, engaging with me in conversation, even if he was a bit pushy. Lucifer made me feel welcome in his own way, but he was all business. He’d appointed Mammon to take care of me, but he didn’t care in the least. I wasn’t sure whether I should either. As for Satan, he hadn’t even glanced in my direction all day, making me more certain of my refusal to accept him as my betrothed. I was yet to find out what he would gain from all this, but other than during our introduction in the auditorium, we hadn’t exchanged a single word. Nor had Leviathan and I, though he hadn’t talked much to anyone, apart from his brothers. At least Beelzebub was polite, he greeted me whenever we happened to run into each other. He seemed rather friendly , though his bright red eyes and impressive physique might suggest otherwise. 

As I was staring at my plate in thought and barely hearing the conversations going on around me, I was suddenly pulled from my reverie by the sound of my name. 

“Sorea,” I looked up to find Lucifer watching me intently. “I take it Mammon has properly shown you around?”

Across the table from me, Mammon stopped chewing and watched me for my reaction, his cheek bulging.  Had he truly not seen that question coming eventually, or did he simply lack the ability to think ahead?

“Actually, apart from our first class, I haven’t seen him all day,” I replied truthfully, earning me an affronted scoff from the white-head across from me. 

At this, Asmodeus let out a giggle. “Oh, you’re done for now, Mammon!”

Mammon glared at me while trying to force his food down.  “What the hell is wrong with you, why would ya say that?!”  he exclaimed as soon as he’d swallowed. 

“I’m sorry, were you expecting me to lie for you?”

“ _Mammon_ ,” Lucifer fixed his ice cold stare on his younger brother. “Are you truly incapable of performing even the simplest task I appoint to you?”

“I was busy!” Mammon said defensively. “I’ve got a life, ya kn –” He flinched when he saw Lucifer’s demeanor change, a subtle shift in the way he sat, but it was enough for Mammon to fall silent and avert his blue eyes. “Geesh…” Mammon grumbled. “This is why ya can’t trust humans. Annoying creatures, down to the very last one.”

“At least _you_ will only be stuck with it for a week,” Satan chimed in, not even bothering to look up from his plate. “As opposed to a lifetime.”

There was no need to elaborate on what he was trying to say. I was almost tempted to tell him that there was no need for him to concern himself with _it_ , because _it_ had no intention of spending a lifetime with him either, but I decided it wasn’t even worth the trouble. Still, his words were unpleasant and rather rude.

“That’s enough from you,” Lucifer addressed the blonde. “We are making our guest feel unwelcome. The very idea behind the exchange program is to change our point of view regarding each other.”

This time, Satan did look up from his plate, and his annoyance  was clear to see on his face. “If you’re expecting me to pretend to be someone I’m not  to keep up your facade, then you are sorely mistaken.”  There was challenge and defiance in his eyes, and I had to hand it to him, he had to be brave to glare at Lucifer like that. It seemed the whole school was intimidated by him, for whatever reason.  Satan, apparently, was not. 

Lucifer simply observed him for a moment, and I admired his patience. “I’m not asking you to. I’d like a word with you in my study when we’re finished here.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Satan mumbled and focused his attention back on his plate.

“Be that as it may,” Lucifer replied, clearly not done with the conversation. “I have a few things to say to you.”

With a jolt, Satan rose from his chair, shoving it back with no feeble amount of force, and without further comment walked out of the dining room. His food had barely been touched, which Beelzebub regarded as an invitation to claim the plate as his own. He happily started munching as if nothing had happened.

I stared at my own plate, not feeling particularly hungry myself. This was all proving to be a nuisance, and I was just about ready to leave this place. Being holed up with demons, who even came up with such a bizarre idea?

“Please excuse my brother,” Lucifer said to me. I wondered if he understood how I was feeling, but he clearly agreed that Satan wasn’t on his best behavior. He’d explained to me why he had chosen this particular brother, but I had yet to see his those traits Lucifer had described. “He has some anger issues.”

I stared at the door through where Satan had disappeared, and asked myself not for the first time, why he had agreed to tying himself to me. 

* * * * *

Since Beel had been so kind as to tell me where I would most likely find Satan, I asked where the library was and made my way upstairs. Visiting the library was something that I had meant to do anyway, and it might give me something to do while I tried to make amends with Satan. Perhaps I could make him understand that I was as displeased with the situation as he was. Maybe if we talked about this we would both feel better.

At the end of the hallway were two large door, almost reaching the high ceiling. Thinking Satan might get even more upset if I suddenly disturbed him and caught him off guard, I knocked on the door to at least get his permission to join him if he were in there. There was no reply however, so I wrapped my fingers around the curved handle and pushed one of the doors open. At the word ‘library’ I had expected a simple room filled with books, but I hadn’t been ready for what my eyes were seeing before me. The library was massive, one of the biggest private collections I had ever seen. Every single wall was packed with books. Multiple ladders stood against the wall to reach the high places, and there was even an additional level that could be reached by means of a spiral staircase in the far left corner. The large fireplace was lit, flames softly burning with a warm glow. The windows were dark, but they were shielded from view by see-through black curtains. Cozy looking rugs were spread out across the floor, on which stood a few comfortable looking sofas and tables. And on one of those sofas sat Satan, who’d looked up from the book he was clutching upon my entering the room.

He didn’t seem as upset anymore, but by now I understood that he was impossible to read if he didn’t want to be read, like a book that had been glued shut.

“Can I help you?” His voice was neutral, but it was clear that he’d rather I’d leave. When I’d knocked, he’d deliberately failed to answer, which meant he didn’t want to be disturbed. “Did Lucifer send you? Seems like something he would do…Whatever it is, you can tell him to piss off. Aren’t you even a little peeved that he would manipulate you like this? And you let him? Unbelievable…” He muttered this last word and let his eyes fall back to the book in his hands.

“Can I ask you something?” Now seemed to be the time, since he’d at least made some form of contact with me.

He raised his eyes to look at me once again. There was always something so penetrating about his gaze, as if he could see right through me. Perhaps it was the anger that always seemed to bubble right beneath the surface, but as far as I knew, he was the only one to have this effect on me. It made me feel more than a little uncomfortable, like I had done something wrong.

I took his silence as a sign for me to continue and I steeled myself. “Why have you agreed to Lucifer’s wishes concerning me? What is in it for you?”

One of his golden eyebrows arched up. “Nothing is in it for me.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you have no ulterior motive? Do you expect me to believe that? I find it hard to imagine you would do this out of the kindness of your heart. If you even own one.”

“Correct. Though my reasons are none of your business.”

“You’re a demon,” I pressed. “Demons don’t do favors. And certainly not life-long favors.”

“Right again. What do _you_ think I want?”

“My soul?”

Dark laughter passes his lips, a sound that sent a shiver up my spine. “What could I possibly  want with your soul? Don’t be pathetic.”

“What then?” I asked him, and then I recalled Azazel’s words. “Do you expect me to warm your bed?”

He visibly froze and glared at me. “Excuse me?”

“If so, I refuse.”

“Don’t mistake me for my brother. I’m not an Incubus. You should be more careful around me. I may seem harmless, but I assure you that whatever kindness you see in me is feigned.” Something about the way he’d said that made me think of what Lucifer had told me not long ago. His reason for having chosen Satan as my match. 

“Lucifer told me that you’re a rational and reasonable person…” I said. Satan at least had the courtesy to listen to my words, and observed me with a curious frown. “But I think there is nothing rational about disliking me simply for coming from the human world. Nor do I think it is very reasonable to blame me for the current situation you are in.” My words were clearly stirring something inside of him, and his frown faded to be replaced with mild interest.

“Tch…” he scoffed, looking away in slight annoyance.

“And though I have had no say in the matter,” I continued, ignoring his response. “I am sorry that this burden was placed on your shoulders. I truly have no intention of staying here, nor becoming anyone’s betrothed. That being said, I do hope you can find it in you to at least stop treating me so unfairly.”

I couldn’t deduce whether his calmness was feigned as much as he claimed his kindness was. “You’re sorry?” he asked me.

I tried to find a hint of suppressed fury, or danger, but I couldn’t discern anything from his tone, not even amusement or plain interest. Eyes the color of the deep ocean were boring into mine.

I held my breath in anticipation, worried he might be about to do something very unpredictable. “...Yes,” I replied, swallowing lightly at the intensity of his stare.

His eyes narrowed at me. “You’re either a very good or a very bad liar.”

Relief washed over me. At least he hadn’t lashed out or said something very unfriendly, like I had imagined he would. “Actually, I’m a very bad liar.”

The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Well, that’s an interesting paradox.”

This time, it was impossible to mistake his response for anything but amusement. “I suppose it is.” I smiled at his words.

Satan sighed and shifted his gaze away from me. “You’re right, it was unfair of me, acting the way I did. I guess it was my way of defying my brother.”

“But, weren’t you the one who accepted his request?”

A short burst of dark, humorless laughter escaped him. “My brother is very persuasive in his requests.  So tell me, why is it you need my protection in the first place?”

“I cannot tell you.” It was a flow of words I had taught myself to use without even having to think about it.

“Didn’t you say you were a bad liar?”

“Does that mean you’ve solved the paradox?”

For a moment, his keen eyes sparkled with appreciation, but it was gone as soon as it had emerged. “ I suppose it wasn’t exactly a lie, so no, not yet. But I might.  Are we finished?”

“Yes. Would you mind if I borrowed one of these books?”

“Be my guest.”

I drifted over to the wall closest to me and let my gaze roam over the spines, looking for something of interest. It seemed they had achieved a rather large collection in this house, and I was impressed. As I inspected the books, I felt Satan’s eyes on my back every now and then, but he made no comment. Only when I focused on what I was actually seeing did I understand why he was observing me. None of these books were from the human world; they were written in Enochian, something I wasn’t supposed to be able to decipher as a mere human.

I froze with my hand raised, my fingers about to pry a book titled ‘The virtues of freedom’ from its shelve.

“Is something the matter?” Satan’s voice spoke to my back.

I thought I detected a hint of amusement, but  he might as well have been gloating. “These aren’t from the human world,” I said, trying to make it sound surprising. 

“No, they’re not,” he replied casually. “They’re written in Enochian, the language of Angels. Of course you can’t read them.” 

“Well,” I slid the book back into its spot and faced him. “Is there something from the human world here that I could read?”

One corner of his mouth curled up into a half-smile, reminding me of Lucifer a little. “If you’re looking for romance novels –or what is it you human girls call it?  _Chicklits_ ? I’m afraid you’ll come up empty handed.”

“Indeed, I hadn’t expected to find any,” I said sweetly. “Since clearly most of you have never laid eyes on a romance novel before.”

Satan’s eyes widened a bit, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Then he seemed to catch himself and narrowed his eyes, but I had earned his attention. “That’s a rather brave thing to say.”

“Yes, and it is rather rude to assume that my tastes are beneath yours, simply because I am a girl, or human. Whichever it is you despise most.”

This time he offered me a genuine smile, though subdued. “Fair enough. Then tell me what you _are_ looking for, and I’ll decide whether to help you out or not.”

I resumed my slow walk along the walls lined with shelves and books in all shapes and sizes. “Do you have any nineteenth century literature? Victorian era, preferably?”

“Funny how you assume I know what that is. But yes, there are some. Over on the left side of the hearth.”

“Well, yes, you _do_ strike me as a know-it-all,” I muttered to myself as I moved to the appointed shelves.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Are you always this honest?”

“Yes,” I said, feeling a little flustered. I hadn’t expected him to hear my comment. “I apologize, it’s a curse.” My eyes roamed over the titles excitedly when I recognized them.

“Some would say that’s a virtue.”

I smiled softly at his words. “Usually not to the beholder,” I replied absentmindedly. I chuckled to myself when my eyes fell upon one of my favorites, and I removed the book to look at the cover.

“Is something funny?”

“The pit and the pendulum,” I said fondly as I stared at the book in my hands. “I think this is the first book I ever owned for myself. Is it all right if I take this back to my room?”

“Of course,” Satan replied and brought his keen eyes back to his own book. “But don’t fold the pages, that is a rare first edition.”

“As if I would ever do something so blasphemous,” I replied, and I could have sworn I saw the corners of his mouth curl up in an attempt to hide a smile. At least he’d been friendly with me this time. Which according to his own words, was every bit as dangerous as his anger. 


End file.
